Zon del Barrio - Events

Monday, June 15, 2009

Celebrate Seniors Next Tuesday w/ Zon del Barrio @ Museum of City of N Y

Celebrate Senior Day with Zon del Barrio, an inter-generational group our members range from 17 to 75. Bring your parents and grandparents and watch them get young again. Last year we had a 91 year young man who danced each and every number!

Seniors are invited to explore the Museum and enjoy complimentary tours of Mannahatta/Manhattan: A Natural History of New York City. At 1:00 PM there will be a special performance by Zon del Barrio. The Museum's Senior Days are supported by a generous grant from Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer.

FREE! Groups are welcome; group reservations recommended.

For reservations and information please call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395.

Museum of the City of NY
1220 Fifth Ave @ 103rd Street
This event is all day from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Performance @ 1 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Aurora & Zon del Barrio: Official House Band of the Parade: Representin' on 5

Yes, for the second time in a row, Zon del Barrio will be performing on the main Daily News Stage @ 68th Street & Fifth Avenue.

We'll be backing up Bernie Williams who not only plays a great game of ball but also rocks on the guitar. Classically trained, Bernie will perform a tune he composed: Ritmo de Otoño (Autumn Rhythm).

Then we're thrilled to be backing up Jose Feliciano who will be performing La Boriqueña & Preciosa.

Last year, Gilberto Santa Rosa stopped his float in front of the stage, stopped the band and started trading off soneos w/ our singer Sammy Rosa during one of our tunes.

More surprises tomorrow.

Come by the stage and say: WEPA!

Parade kicks off @ noon @ 44th Street & goes to 86th & Fifth!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Zon del Barrio @ Room Service this Friday afterwork for the pre-parade Party

Come out & dance this Friday to the sizzling sounds of
the official house band for the National PR Day Parade:

Zon del Barrio


Aurora & Zon del Barrio @ the Heineken Kalalu Festival in St. Lucia


Friday, June 12 PARADE KICKS OFF @ NOON

Eddie Batiz presents...
AFTER-WORK FRIDAYS @ ROOM SERVICE
Live Performance by
ZON DEL BARRIO
The Official house band of the
National Puerto Rican Day Parade
On the Daily News Stage
Music from the Streets of Latin NY: salsa, plena, merengue & boogaloo

Music by the legendary EDDIE BATIZ
DJ FRANK SWIFT, DJ WRECK and DJ ROB-LO
Mixing the best Salsa, Merengue, R&B,
Club Classics, Reggae & House music

CLICK HERE FOR FREE ADMISSION PASS!or go onto www.latinclubs.com
Free Admission with Pass before 8pm
ROOM SERVICE
35 East 21 Street
Between Park Avenue & Broadway
21 & Over, ID Required

REPRESENTIN' ON 5!



Then check out Zon del Barrio @ the National PR Day Parade this Sunday. Zon del Barrio is the official house band and will be on the Daily News Main Stage @ 68th & Fifth....

Thursday, June 04, 2009

ZDB this Weekend: Sat & Sun Museum of NYC & Yonkers Fest. w/ Yomo Toro! ¡WEPA!

Get your own widget

Thursday, May 28, 2009

8th Annual Dance of the White Dress: Sunday, May 31, 2009 5 pm to 11pm

Sunday, May 31st, 2009 - 5pm to 11pm

Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute Presents:

The 8th Annual
Dance of the White Dress

a family event in celebration of spring



Dance to the Sounds of

Chico Alvarez & Mafimba

and

Zon de Barrio

featuring DJ Broadway


Free Latin Buffet and Floor Show



The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz
Memorial & Educational Center
3940 Broadway & W.165th Street
New York, NY 10032



Advance Ticket sales preferred: $20
At the door: $25 ( limited tickets available)

CCCADI Members: $15 in advance or $20 at the door w/ membership card



For more info: Melody Capote, 212-307-7420 ext. 3004 or mcapote@cccadi.org



For Tickets: Monica Cortes, 212-307-7420 ext 3011 or tickets@cccadi.org



For more info on CCCADI please go to: www.cccadi.org

DRESS IN WHITE

Then don't forget to see Zon del Barrio w/ Yomo Toro @
Yonkers Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival Sunday, June 7, 2009 4 p.m.

Chicken Island
(Immediately following parade) Mclean Avenue & South Broadway, 1PM

Zon del Barrio is the official house band of the
National Puerto Rican Day Parade
63rd & Fifth Ave on the Daily News main stage
Sunday, June 14, 2009 noon to 4 p.m.


For a full schedule of Zon del Barrio events go to:

www.myspace.com/zondelbarriony


www.youtube.com/aurorazdb
www.zondelbarrio.com Where History Becomes Music

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day ... all you mothers!

My friend Melody sent me the following video from CNNBC: "Aurora Flores Announced as 2009 Mother of the Year."

Watch it here:

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=RHCYNdE3lAi4t8RybdyrPTg4ODg1Mw--&referred_by=15613535-GyLu4tx&p=moveon

Below is an article I wrote for my mother when I was a columnist w/ El Diario La Prensa

Hija Fuiste y Madre Sera

Aurora Flores

© mayo del 1987
publicado en el diario/la prensa

Se acerca el dia de las Madres. Un dia que para nosotros los Latinos representa una emoción sagrada. Es mas, bendita. Pero un dia, solamente un dia, no es suficiente tributo a la labor de ser madre.

Ella fue la que me alimento con la leche de su amor; a la cual añadió alegría, entusiasmo, fe, simpatía, caridad y compasión. La leche que me llegaba directamente de su corazón tenia el calor de una sencillez jíbara sacada de la raíz del orgullo de ser hispano.

Me enseño a comunicarme con el mundo por medio de su canción, pues su voz melódica es mi primer recuerdo de entendimiento humano. Y es su mano dura pegada a mi sentadera mi primer recuerdo de disciplina, la cual se merecía una niña tan traviesa, cabeza dura, e inquieta como yo.

Me enseño a compartir mi vida, mis juegetes, mi comida, y mi alegría con mis hermanas menores y mi hermanito. Me enseño la responsabilidad de la interdependencia para con mi familia; o sea, yo era que la ayudaba a cuidar y enseñar a los demás cuando ella tenia que buscar nuestros alimentos o atender sus oficios diario del hogar.

Me enseño de la historia cuando me contaba los cuentos de su juventud por los campos y montañas de Mayagüez, reforzando esas enseñanzas con los cuentos de su abuela y tatarabuela sobre el barbarismo de los españoles contra los indios, los negros y los jíbaros, cuya sangre me decía, corría por mi ser. Y mientras las dos nos bebíamos las lagrimas, ella nunca se fijaba que me regalaba amor a la patria y a la libertad.

Me enseño a escribir un dia cuando me cogió haciendo garabatos en las paredes. Y aunque yo no entendía, me decía que yo tenia a quien salir porque la herencia de un escritor procede corría por mis venas.

Fue su mano de la que me agarre cuando camine hacia a la escuela en mi primer dia de educación formal.

Ella me pregunto, ¿ “Tienes miedo? ¿Sabes que no voy a estar contigo”. Y con la confianza que solo tiene la niñez que no le teme a nada, respondí, “No puedo esperar a llegar al salón”. Por supuesto, fue su cara llena de preocupación la primera que yo buscaba cuando salí por la puerta escolar.

Fue la primera que me enseño de el odio y racismo interno de las instituciones de este país, pues yo era que servia como interprete familiar cuando teníamos que bregar con los hospitales, abogados, y mesoneros. También era yo la interprete cuando comprábamos en La Marqueta y ella, regateando con los vendedores que en esa época no halaban español, me decía, “Dile a ese desgraciado que no me trate de engañar porque yo no soy ninguna boba”. Y yo, de ocho años, en un ingles muy tímido, trataba a comunicarle este mensaje.

Fue en sus brazos que me escondí llorando de vergüenza cuando elle me dijo al cogerme bochinchando de mujeres de la noche con mis amigas que yo no podía juzgar a otra mujer por lo que ella hace. “Uno nunca sabe” ella apunto, “si esa mujer tiene que mantener a un hijo o una madre”.

Y fue ella quien me enseño a creer en mi a ser orgullosa de quien soy y de donde vengo. Un dia, cuando yo ya era señorita e iba a clases para superdotados, me advirtió que dijeran lo que dijeran los blanquitos para alabarme, yo nunca seria blanca como ellos y que si me daba vergüenza de ser puertorriqueña, pues también me daba vergüenza que ella, una jíbara campesina, fuera mi madre. Como lloramos las dos ese dia.

Y que mucho me has enseñado tu, Mami, de la vida.

Ahora soy madre y me doy cuenta del trabajo enorme que viene con ese titulo. No hay libros de enseñanza para madres. No hay programas de entrenamiento. No hay lecciones fijas ni estructuras para guiar a la madre nueva por el camino seguro. A pesar de todos los trabajos profesionales que he tenido, ninguno ha sido tan retador como tener la responsabilidad de una vida en mis manos.

Ser madre es tarea de 24 horas sin rutina diaria. Todos los días hay sorpresas. No hay trabajo mas duro, no hay sacrificio mas doloroso pero, a la misma vez, no hay alegría mas profunda de la de ser madre.

Ahora, mi mama cuida a mi niño cuando yo voy a trabajar. Y sus días mas alegres son esos cuando la gente le pregunta si el nene es de ella o cuando el le dice en español, “Abuela, yo soy el único viejito enamorao de ti”.

Para todos esos días laboriosos, noches sin sueños y anos formándonos en adultos con capacidad y por todos los días que faltan, Cruz Valentin de Hostos, esto es para ti. ¡Y en español!
________________________________________________________

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.



Para Mami
Manos lindas, chiquitas,
con arrugas que hablan
de vida y muerte
de sangre y alma

Esas son las manos
las manos de mi madre
que trabajaron duras
por campos y manglares

Que ayudaban a cortar caña
que picaban frutas
que cosian trajes
que siempre me ayudan

Manos que salvan
Manos que sanan
Manos que enseñan
desde la cuna hasta la cama

Cariño y calor de un alma sencilla
Sin condiciones, Sin hipocresias
Manos que limpian, consinan y crian
Manos que hoy en dia
tiemblan de sufrimiento
de tiempos ya pasados
que no tienen remedio

Manos que cosieron
banderas de patriotas
Manos que ayudaron
hacernos en su forma

Esas son las manos que mas anhelo
Y cada arrugita
de esas manos las respeto y las quiero
Cada linea cuenta un cuento, una experiencia, un pasaje de la vida

Porque esas manos
aun ya arrugadas
son las que mas me acarisiaban
cuando mas las necesitaban.


Aurora (© may 2002)

Friday, April 17, 2009

This Sun. @ 1:30 p.m. ON THE RADIO

La Nueva Mega 90.1 FM

Radio interview show featuring Zon del Barrio. We’ll be talking about our trip to St. Lucia and our upcoming summer schedule which is sizzling...... tune in online: www.wcdbfm.com and click on Listen Live!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Zon del Barrio Events

Click here on our myspace page to see our upcoming events: Our next event is for the Connecticut Arts Council.
Just click here: http://www.myspace.com/zondelbarriony

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

ZDB headlines St. Lucia's World Music Festival Easter Weekend

Zon del Barrio ROCKED St. Lucia. Here are a few photos.



The Coco Palm Hotel where we stayed! PARADISE


But of course they put all the musicians on the Kreole Side:



But whatever the side, the views were just spectacular nomatter where you went:



The little garden that led to the big pool:




Striking a pose right before the soundcheck:




The pool:



The view from our room... we had a wraparound balcony and the crickets kept me up the first night!


Some familiar faces in St. Lucia: David's big brother Bay:




The Cat that ate the canary: David .... living high in the Caribbean:


the Singers of ZDB: Sammy went native before we even touched ground. After all, St. Lucia is where they filmed the movie: Pirates of the Caribbean!


The St. Lucians did not want to let Oreste come back to the U.S.:



While Papo Gely was flying low and chillin' out:


The ZDB Boyz in the Hotel Terrace: Tito, Sammy, Oreste & Ruben:



Mr. Wonderful himself, in the flesh: He doesn't need anyone as long as he has his mirror:



Oreste, Tito & Juan @ the Bar in Coco Palm:


Pretty in Pink: The Goils:


While the guys take a chill pill by the pool: Tito, Oreste, Papo, Sammy, Carlos and Juan! (I saw you put those bunny ears on Sammy Carlos!)













Come party w/us Easter Weekend in St. Lucia @ the Caribbean's ONLY World Music Festival. It's right near Puerto Rico, the hotels are really affordable and if you get your tickets now, you won't have to pay tourists prices come April. Check it out, and come to the Caribbean w/us. We'll have a BLAST!

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St. Lucia’s World Music Festival
April 11 – 12, 2009

… A New Sensory Experience !
Kalalu presents two evenings of superb entertainment
featuring established and emerging artists
from the Caribbean and around the globe

… An Exciting Mix
music, food, culture and craft
with generous helpings of the traditional
alongside the unexpected

Much More Than Music
it’s an exciting mix of
sights sounds and sensations
for your avant-guard
adventurous soul.

Come Party w/ Zon del Barrio during Easter for the
Kalalu World Musical Festival

It’s a multi-lingual ethnic sound with crossover appeal... Music that overcomes borders and cultural barriers with novel fusions of traditional and popular styles... Music that speaks of heritage and history...

That’s the eclectic sound of KALALU... So, welcome to the Festival... The Caribbean’s one and only!

Kalalu presents four evenings of superb entertainment featuring established and emerging artists from around the globe... offering an exciting mix of the well know and the unexpected to adventurous and avant-garde souls seeking a new sensory experience.

CASTRIES, ST.LUCIA . February 10, 2009: Considered by many to be St. Lucia’s next up and coming international event, the KALALU WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL has moved to a new date and format. Now relocated to the Easter Weekend, a favorite travel time for regional visitors and still on the cusp of the traditional tourist season, the Festival expects to attract even larger numbers of locals and visitors alike.

Building on a reputation for excellence established at its champagne inauguration back in July 2005, Kalalu will now present two action-packed evenings of superb entertainment featuring established and emerging artists from around the globe.

KALALU 4 promises a high-end menu of talent starting April 11, 2009. Gates open each evening with performances by costumed moko-jumbie dancers moving to energetic drumologies from Esoteric Drummers of St. Lucia. The first main-stage act will feature an all-star cast of local leads featuring Nicole David, Sally Elwin, Derek Yarde, Trevor Dornelly and the band Synergy, all in a musical collaboration created specially for Kalalu 4.
L’Addition – an act that has become a veritable addiction for Kalalu fans - will be a major feature again this year with another dynamic repertoire of dancer-friendly zouk and sizzling creole favorites.

Zon Del Barrio - a funky, hot, New York-based ensemble of salsa and plena extraction, will express the infectious rhythms inherited from their respective barrios of Latin America. Other Salsa Performers from prior years included: Alfredo de la Fe, Orq. Broadway, Jose Alberto,"El Canario" & Andres Levin's Yerba Buena.

Also expected to appear is an unbeatable combination of Francophone talent in the persons of Tanya St. Val (Guadeloupe), Luc Leandry (Paris) and Grammacks star Jeff Joseph (Martinique) appearing with zouk band Panik out of Guadeloupe.

The Easter Sunday extravaganza continues with another local collaboration this time starring Luther Francois, Athanatius Laborde and new band Zambizi. Their afrocentric performance will be a fitting opener for Haja Madagascar & the Groovy People with their high energy combination of African and Malagasi traditional and contemporary rhythms.

Kalalu then presents top soukous performer Shimeta El Diego – renowned as the “James Brown” of the Congo. He appears with the famous Soukous Stars who will sustain KALALU’s now established West-African repertoire. Closing Sunday evening will be the award winning mega-artist Barrington Levy of Jamaican dancehall fame who will doubtless rock the Kalalu crowd with mega hits such as Work, Too Experienced, and Living Dangerously.

Consistent with its new format KALALU 2009 takes on all the ambiance of a classy open-air party - with drummers and dancers at the entrance, a food fair offering international cuisine, two entertainment stages, covered seating, tented food and beverage areas and a bazaar of gift stalls and craft booths.

And, for those who want to dance through a weekend of konpa, reggae, zouk, boogaloo and salsa, also included will be an expansive 1200 square-foot dance floor.

Tickets for the event go on sale at month-end priced at $60EC per person per night.

###

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

ZDB @ Gonzalez & GonZalez, March 14, 2009 11:30 p.m.

There are not too many "quality" clubs left in NY for good Latin music but Gonzalez & Gonzalez still provides a hot, although tight, dance floor, a full bar, Tex-Mex food, a free salsa dance lesson and did I mention there's never a cover?

Come party w/us this Sat as we continue to celebrate David's birthday (this is not his idea), and present our new members and tunes. Papo Gely (musical director for El Topo) joins our tribe playing a nasty, electric guitar giving ZDB a Sanatana like feeling to the salsa. Maryann Santiago from Youngstown, Ohio will belt out some songs in tribute to women like the great Celia Cruz and the gran sonera, Linda Leida. Sammy Rosa will bring in "La Banda" and I'll be doing my "Bochinche" and "Revolu," an original tune I wrote on domestic violence. Rihanna should hear this one.

Come join the tribe @ Gonzalez & Gonzalez, you'll have a great time.

¡A GoSalza!

Gonzalez & Gonzalez
625 Broadway
(Between Houston and Bleecker St.)
Tel: (212) 473-8787
Bar, Mexican Restaurant, Dance Floors, Salsa DJ
Live Salsa Bands Thusday, Friday, and Saturday Nights
Small dance Area. Bring your own partner as On-2" insurance.
Admission: Always FREE ~ Never a Cover
Dress Code: no sneakers, boots, baggies, team jerseys, or hats
Door Policy: Friday & Saturday 21 & over, with proper ID
Nearest Subway: Bleecker St. Station on 6
Directions to Club: Yahoo Map of Area


Zon del Barrio opening for the NY Knicks
Lobby of Madison Sq. Garden
Sixth Time

Photo: Jerry LaCay

Zon del Barrio